Transmission or change-speed device.



L R.STEPHENS0N.

TRANSMISSION 0R CHANGE SPEED DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.8. I9I3. RENEWED NOVl I9. 1914.

/l-Illl QQ R IQ I 11mm/1to1 @jg/m Nq I I P22555 .5 @51E LQ I l @NM @fw/ Ms@ I. R. STEPHVENSON. l v TRANSMISSION 0R CHANGE SPEED-DEVICE?..1--k APPLICATION FILED SERT. 8'. 1913'. RENEwED Nov) 19. (912:.

1,189,401. v v Patente'lulyfl, 1916.-" 'l .amiens-SHEET 2.5

J. R. ST'EPHENSON.

TRANSMISSION 0R CHANGE SPEED DEVICE.` APPLICATION FILED sEPT.a,19I3. IIENEWED Nov. I9. I9I4.

1,1 89,401 Patented Ju1y.4,.1916.

, 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- JAMES B. STEPHENSON, DAYTON, OHIO.

'transmission on cuenca-SPEED nnvrcn.

Specic'zationv of Letters Patent.

Fatented July d, 1916..

Application 1ed. September 8, 1913, Serial No.y 788,806. Renewed November 19, 1914. i Serial :Nd-873,051.'

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES `R. STEPHEN- soN, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Dayton, in the county of kMontgomery and State of'Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transmission or Change-Speed Devices; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such -as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of .reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in change speed or transmission devices adapted to 'be used on automobiles and machines tools, such as lathes and milling machines, etc.

One object of the invention is to provide a change speed device in which the various speed ratios maybe selected without disengaging the driving and driven members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this type by means of which an unlimited number of speed ratios may be obtained. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this type in which the speed ratio may be changed without subjecting the device to shocks or jars. Another object of the 'invention is to provide a device of this type which eliminates the use of the usual clutch for disengaging the engine from the transmission appertaining to automobiles.

A further object o the invention is to rovide a device of this type in which the direction of rotation of thedriving member may be reversed. 1

These and other incidental objects appear in the description and drawings hereto annexed.

To the above ends, the device is compact is a section on the line o-c of Fig. 1; Fig.

o isa section on-the line d-fi` o Fig. 1; Fig.

6 is a diagrammatic view of the means for l shifting the. ulcrums of the transmission levers; Fig. 7 isl a section on the, line e-e of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 Vis a section on the line f-f of Fig. 5; and Fig. 9 is a sectionon the line g-g of Fig. 2..

ri`hroughoutthe specification yand. the different views ofthe drawings, similar referelce characters indicate corresponding par s.

y Referring more particularly. to the drawings, 1 represents al cylindrical shell provided on one .end with a housing 2 adapted to support the driving means, and on the other endv with a housing 8 which supports the driven means. rlhe said housing 2 is also provided With a cap 4 having a bearing 5 constituting a journal for a driving f shaft 6 which vis connected with the motor of the automobile or any other driving means. Mounted on the inner side of the cap Lirland on the end of the shaft 6 is a crank 7 provided 4vwith a wrist pin 8. Journaled on said wrist pin are bor-'es 9 which slide in cross-heads 10 extending from slides 11. Said slides 11 are mounted in guides' 12 vwhich in turn' are mounted on the outside. of and reieraloly integral with the,

housing 2.. ile in the presentv case I have 4shown three of the slides 11 and guides 12 which are mounted equi-distant around the housing 2, itis to be understood that. the device may be constructed of an num-A ber of said slides and guides. To a ow the slides 11 to be inserted in the guides l2 at the ends of' said guides, the cross-heads 10 are detachably secured by meansof screws 13 to the slides 11. The` unsupported ends of the cross-heads 10 may be united b yokes 14 to give sucient strength to Y,sai crossheads. lt will be seen from this construc- `tion, that, when the driving shaft 6 is rotated,` the slides 11 will bealternately re-' ciprocated. l donot wish to limit myself tothe precise 4details .shown and described vfor reciprocating these slides asany vwell known means may be substituted.

Mounted .on the housing 3 is a cap 15 having a bearing 16 which provides a )ournal for a driven shaft 17. Freely journaled on said shat 17 within the housing 3 is a sleeve 18. i Freely journaled on said sleeve 18 within said housing 3 is a plurality of oscillating segment gears 19 ywhich correspond in number with the slides 11.' The iccl segment gears 19 are adapted to be individually connected to the driven shaft 17 by any well known type of clutch.

The said shaft 17 has three atsurfaces 20 while the sleeve 1S is provided with pockets 21 which receive rollers 22. These rollers 22 lie between the shaft 17 and the segment gears 19 and are adapted to engage the ila-t surfaces 20 and the inner surfaces of said segment gears. The surfaces 20 and the inner surfaces of the segment gears 19 form double wedge-shaped pockets inwhich the rollers 22 are adapted to jam in clutching the segment gears 19 and the shaft l17. rlhe rollers 22 arepartly controlled by springs 23 which have a tendency to move said rollers into the ends of the pockets and are instrumental in allowing the gears i9 and the shaft 17 to be clutched. Said rollers may be pressed toward either end of the wedgeshaped pockets to allow the'shat 17 to be rotated in either direction as will be hereinafter described in connection with the reversing mechanism. rlhe gears 19 are osoillated as follows: Each of said gears 19 is provided with teeth 2li which mesh with racks 25 of individual slides 26. rl`he slides 26 are mounted in guides 27 which are preterably integral with and arranged in stag gered positions equi-distant around the housing 3 in a manner similar to the guides i2. Said slides 26 are variably reciprocated by the slides li through means of individual transmission levers 28 which are pivotally connected at one endl to said slides 26 by means oi pins 29 and pivotaily and slidably connected at their other ends by means oi pins 30 and blocks 3i which slide within pockets 32 in said levers. The iulcrums oi the transmission levers 26 are shiftable and consist of blocks 33 adapted to slide along the levers. Extending'from said bloclrs 33 are pivot pins 3e which are journaled ink brackets 35 extending from a shiftable ring 36 which entends around the shell i. The ring 36 is provided with guides 37 adapted to travel in guide-slots 38 on the exterior of the shell l, and may be shifted along the shell l to change the position of the ulcrums of the levers 26-by any well known means such as a connecting rod 39. As the slides 1l and 26 are arranged in staggered relation one to the other the brackets 35 are ofvarying lengths to allow the fulcrum pins 34 to be staggered as is shown in Fig. 6. The ulcrums of all the levers 28 are, therefore, in the same position relative to the ends of their respective levers.

The stroke of the slides il is constant while the stroke of the slides 26 is variable. The ratio of the lengths of the strokes of the slides 11 and 26 depends upon the position of the tulcrum pins 3d. ln the position the fulcrum pins are shown in the drawings,

66 the strokes of the slides il and 26 are the shaft i7 rotate in unison.

Lieaeoi same, but, when the fulcrum pins 34 are moved toward the slides 26 by shifting the ring 36, the travel or stroke of the slides 26 will become less the nearerthe ulcrumpins are to said slides. The shorter the stroke of the slides 26, the less will be the speed of rotation of the driven shaft 17 as compared with the driving shaft 6 and, consequently, the greater will be the power effortfor the same amount of power transmitted to the driving shaft 6. The blocks 33 are adapted to pass over the pivot pins 29 of the slides 26 and when the fulcrurn pins 34 and the pivot pins 29 are in alinement, no movement will be imparted to the slides 26 and to the shaft 17, consequently this arrangement allows for the elimination of the usual clutch between the driving and driven members. lt will also be noted that, by this arrange` ment, the shaft 17 may be initially rotated without throwing any shock upon the driving shaft 6, as the power will be gradually transmitted to the shaft 17 when the ulcrum pins 34 are ,moved away from the pivot pins 29.

As before stated, when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. l. and 2 of the drawings, the driving shaft 6 andthe driven rlhe following means are, therefore, provided to clutch the driving and driven shafts when rotated inV unison and prevents the transmission levers 26 carrying any oi the strain. Attached to lthe wrist pin 6 is a cranlr d6 which is mounted on a short shaft il journaled in ak bearing l2 on the inside and at one end or" the shell l. rlhe said shaft dl is provided with a lclutch portion. i3 adapted to be engaged by a similar clutch member filf. Said clutch member 4.4 is splined to the driven shaft i7 and is partially controlled by a spring l5 shown in detail in Fig. 3. The clutch inember fifi is provided with a spool i6 adapted to be engaged by pins e7 ont a yoke 46 piv oted at e9 on the inside of the shell l. The spring 4:5 is adapted to disengage the clutch members 43 and d'while the said clutch membersare adapted to he placed in engagement by an arm 56 which extends fromv the yoke 46 through a suitable, opening in the shell l and which is adapted to be engaged by the ring 36 when the fulcrum pins 34 are near the position shownin Fig. l. It will be remembered, that, when the ulcrum pins 3ay are in the positionshown in Fig. l., the strokes of the slides il and 26 are suchlthat the driving shaft 6 and the driven shaft i7 rotate in unison. Consequently,

when the clutch members 43 and 4:4, are in engagement, the driven shaft l7'will be di rectly driven from the shaft 6 which prevents any of the transmission strains being carried by the levers 28..

The means for reversing the direction of travel of the shaft 17,'whioh was above rev .adapted to` engage said rollers.

ferred to',is as follows: The' sleeve 18 is provided with annular pockets 51, one for each segment gear 19.11,' See Figs. 2` and 7. Mounted 'within said ipockets'and on each side of each of 'therollers 22-are pins 52 The said pins 52 A are parti-allyhcontrolled by the springs 23, abovereferred to, and which are adapted to be compressed by pins 53car'- ried by thesleevefl'8. It Will be seen, that, whenv the sleeve 18.is rockedin one direction, the springs 23 onone side of the rollers 22 will move said rollers towardon'e end of the pockets 51 formed Iby the-surfaces 20, and the segment gears 19 will, therefore, rotate the shaft 17 in one direction of their oscillating movement. When the sleeve 18 1s moved in the other direction, the springs 23 on the other'side of the rollers 22 will move said rollers toward the other end of said pockets and the shaft 17 will be rotated in the opposite direction duringl the other stroke of oscillation of these ent gears 19. The springs 23 and the pins 52 are held within the pockets 51 by an cuter sleeve 54 which also forms the journal 'for the oscillating segment gears 19. The width of the pockets 21 is suchv that their sides will engage the rollers 22 and positively move said rollers toward the ends of said pockets, if, for any reason, the tension of the springs 23 .is not suficient to perform this function. The sleeve 18 is oscillated by a pin 55 (see Fig. 2) which extends through a longitudinal slot 56 in the shaft 17 and an elongated spiral slot 57 in said sleeve 18. The pin 55 is carriedl by a spool 58 adapted to be engaged by avyoke 59 from which an operating arm 60 extends. The arm 60 reaches out of the shell 1 through an opening 61 and passes through the ring 36. (See Figs. 1, 2 and 5). The said arm 60 lis provided with an extension 62 which may be connected to any suitable form of shifting mechanism (not shown). It will be seen that when the pin 55 is at one end of the slots 56 and 57. the rollers 22 will be moved toward one end of the wedge-shaped pock- 'ets' 51 but when said pin 55 is at the other end of the slots 56 and 57 the rollers 22 will h forced toward the other ends of said pockets, thereby reversing the direction of the travel of the driven shaft 17 when the vsegment gears 19 are oscillated. In the position the pin 55 is shown in the drawings,

(Figs. 2 and 9), the shaft 17 is being drivenv clock-wise, which is. the forward direction whenV applied to automobiles. It will be noted that when the pin 55 is at the end of the slots. 56 and 57 from that shown in the drawings, and the shaft 17 is being rotated in the reversed direction as applied to an automobile. thefulcrum pins 34 must be near the pivot pins 29 as the extension 62 of the arm 60 lies in the path of the ring 36. The shaft 17 can, therefore, only be rotated at reversed speed when said shaft is .running at a low speed of rotation,which is the common practice in automobile construction.

Having' described my--invention, I claim: 1.- In a vdevice of the type specified, a rotatingv driving member, reciprocating driving'members'actuated by said rotating driving'member, a rotating driven member having a plurality of engaging faces, oscillating members mounted on said driven member, rollers mounted between said oscillating members and said engaging faces,

clutch said `oscillating members and said rotating driven member, springs adapted to move said rollers ltoward the ends of the pockets, reciprocating driven members in operative relation with said oscillating members, and levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said driving reciprocating members and said driven reciprocating members.

3. In a device of the type specified, a rotating driving member, driving members actuated by said lrotating driving member, a rotating dri-ven member having engaging faces, oscillating members mounted on said rotating driven member and together with said engaging faces forming double Wedge shaped pockets, rollers mounted in said double wedge-shaped pockets'and adapted to clutch said oscillating members and said rotating driven mem ber, springs mounted onopposite sides of said rollers and'adapted to press said rollers toward the ends of the pockets when said springs are compressed, a sleeve carrying said springs said sleeve being mounted on said rotating driven'member and adapted to positively engage said rollers, means for oscillating said sleeve relative to said rotating driven member, reciprocating driven members connected to said oscillating members, and a plurality of levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said reciprocating driving members and said reciprocating driven members.

4. Tn a device of the type specified, a

reciprocating rotating drivenv member having engaging faces, oscillating members mounted on said rotating driven member and together with said engaging faces forming double wedge- -shaped pockets, rollers mounted in said pockets and lying between said oscillating members and said driven member, a sleeve mounted on said driven member and adapted to engage said rollers to move said rollers toward the end of said pockets thereby clutching said driven and oscillating members, said driven member being provided with a lon 'tudinal slot and said sleeve being provi ed with a spiral slot, a pin eX- tending through said slots, and means for shifting said pin whereby the direction of rotation'of said driven member may be reversed.

5. In a device of the type specified, a driving member, a driven member, oscillating members, means constituting a clutch for said driven and oscillating members, means for shifting said clutch, a plurality of Vtransmission members having variable movement connecting said driving member and said oscillating members, means for varying the movement of said transmission members, and means for varying the movement of said transmission members controlling the shifting means for said clutch means.

6. In a device of the type specified, a rotating driving member, a rotating driven member, oscillating members, means for clutching said driven member and said oscillating members, means for shifting said clutching means to change the direction of rotation of said driving means, a plurality of levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said rotating driving means and said oscillating members, a shiftable member supporting the fulcrums of said levers and also controlling the means for shifting said clutching means.

7. In a device of the type specified, a rotating driving means, a rotating driven means, oscillating members, rollers adapted to clutch said driven means and said oscillating members, means for shifting said rollers whereby said driven means may be rotated in opposite directions by said oseillating means, a plurality of levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said driving means and said oscillating members, and a shiftable member supporting said fulcrums and controlling the means for shifting said rollers. y

8. In a device of the type specified, a rotatingl driving means, a rotating driven means, oscillating'l members, rollers adapted to clutch said driven means and said oscillating members, a sleeve adapted to shift said rollers whereby said driven means may berotated in opposite directions by said oscillating members, means for shifting said sleeve, a plurality of levers having shiftable fulc'rums connecting said driving means and said oscillating members, and a shiftable member supporting said fulcrums and controlling the means for shifting said sleeve.

9. In a device of the type specified, arotating driving means, a rotating driven means, oscillating members, rollers adapted to clutch said driven member and said oscillating members, a sleeve adapted to shift said rollerswhereby said driven member is rotated in opposite directions by said oscillating members, means including an arm for shifting said sleeve, a plurality of transmission levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said rotating driving means and said oscillating means, a shiftable ring supporting said fulcrums and lying in the path of said arm thereby controlling the shifting of said rollers in a direction of rotation of said driven means.

10. In a device of the type specified, the combination of driving and driven shafts arranged in axial alinement, and a plurality' of levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said driving and driven shafts, said levers being adapted to be alternately oscillated by said driving shaft, and in turn adapted to alternately rotate said driven shaft, whereby said driven shaft may be variably and is constantly rotated by said driving shaft.

11. In a device of the type specified, the combination of driving and driven shafts -axially alined, a plurality of reciprocating driving members connected to said driving shaft, a plurality of reciprocating driven members connected to said driven shaft, and a plurality of levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said reciprocating driving and said reciprocating driven members, sald levers being alternately oscillated by said reciprocating driving members and in turn alternately rotating said driven shaft, whereby said driven shaft may be variably and is constantly rotated by said driving shaft.

12. In a device of the type specified, the combination of driving and driven shafts axially alined, a plurality of reciprocating driving members connected to said driving shaft, a plurality of reciprocating driven membersconneted to said driven shaft. clutch members' connecting said reciprocating driving shaft and said reciprocating driven shaft, and a plurality of levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said reciprocating driving members and said reciprocating driven: members, said levers being alternately oscillated by saidl reciprocating driving members and in turn alternately rotating said driven shaft, whereby said driven shaft maybe variably and is constantly rotated by said driving shaft.

13. In a device of the type specified, a

rotating driving member, a vrotating driven member, a clutch adapted to connect both members, means including levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said driving and driven members, a ring supporting the fulcrums of said levers and operatively connected to said clutch when the fulcrums of said levers are in a neutral position.

14. In a device of the type specified, a rotating driving member and a rotating driven member, a clutch adapted to connect said members, reciprocating driving members connected to said rotating driving member, reciprocating driven members connected to said rotating driven member, a plurality of levers having shiftable fulcrums connecting said reciprocating members, a shiftable member controlling said fulcrums, and a lever operatively connecting said clutch andsaid shiftable member when the fulcrums of said levers are in their neutral position.

15. A speed-varying transmission device comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a plurality of reciprocable elements grouped around the driving shaft and operatively connected therewith, a corresponding plurality of reciprocable elements grouped around the driven shaft and each havin a ratchet driving connection therewith, a p urality of levers operatively connecting the two groups of reciprocable elements in pairs, fulcrums for said levers, and means for uniformly and, simultaneously varying the relation of the fulcrums to the arms and said levers.

16. A speed-varying transmission device comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a plurality of levers grouped around said two shafts, operative connections between the driving shaft and said levers to produce oscillation of the levers by rotation of the driving shaft, ratchet connections between said levers and the drivenvshaft to produce rotation of the driven shaft by oscillation of the levers, fulcrums for the levers, and means for uniformly and simultaneously varying the relation ofthe fulcrums to the arms of said levers.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. STEPHENSON.

MATTHEW SIEBLER. 

